Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Sasquatch 2012 Season Is Underway

Alright, Halloween has come and gone, November is here, and that means Sasquatch season has officially started.

Dates: The dates have yet to be confirmed, but the festival always takes place over Memorial Day Weekend. The fourth day was a let down last year, so it's 50/50 it will be back. We can safely say the festival will be held at least May 26th to 28th. UPDATE: The festival will again be four days in 2012, and will include re-entry for wristband holders. Dates will be May 25th to May 29th.

Tickets: Last year tickets went on sale November 20th, two days after the Foo Fighters were announced as a headliner. The previous year, tickets went on sale November 7th, when Pavement was announced as a (sort of) headliner. Massive Attack ended up headlining that day. Previous years, tickets went on sale after the lineup was announced in late February. Even when the Cure were announced as the 2008 headliner near Halloween the previous year, tickets didn't go on sale early.

Lineup: The lineup was announced February 7th last year. In previous years, it was announced the day after Presidents Day, which is February 20th next year. If you put a squirt gun to my head, I would bet my dryness the lineup will be announced in February 2012.

Headliners: While Sasquatch used to rely on giant headliners and a below average undercard, the recent trend has been picking headliners who aren't big enough to headline the biggest festivals in the States (aside from the Foo Fighters), giving the subheadliner type of bands their name in lights. I see the 2012 headliners going one of two directions.

Scenario 2: One gigantic headliner, with the other headliners being bands who could sell (+/-) 3,000 tickets, then not selling single day passes. Under this scenario, there would be one giant headliner, with the others being bands like Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, Primus, Foster The People, and Justice. If you want to see the huge draw, you have to buy a full festival pass, which would guarantee the off days will sell at the same rate.

I think the second scenario is the way to go next year, so here is where we talk about Radiohead and Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam is working on a new album, which makes it likely they will tour after it's released. It's doubtful, but possible. Radiohead is touring next spring, and are a favorite of Adam Zacks based on Guerilla Candy's interview several years ago. Radiohead will play a NW show next year, and played the White River Amphitheater last time through, which isn't that neat of a venue. They could play there again, pick a giant arena, or play the Gorge. Festivals make a lot more money than individual shows, so paying Radiohead or Pearl Jam roughly the same amount they would make playing their own show at the Gorge makes sense for both sides. Radiohead/Pearl Jam would reach an audience they otherwise wouldn't at their own show, and the festival will make more money on the off days forcing more people to pay to attend. The underdog "huge draw" would be the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Sell Out?: No, I mean will tickets for the festival sell out. Sorry for the confusion. Many feel Sasquatch 2012 will sell out regardless of the lineup. I disagree. Yes, the festival sold out early again this year, but those crafty folks at Ticketmaster kept a handful of passes on their sister site, TicketsNow, which is basically them scalping their own tickets for increased profit. When those tickets didn't sell out, they put the passes back on sale for regular price on their main site a couple weeks before the festival. Those paying attention could have bought a four day pass for nearly $100 less than face value, because the market was saturated with more tickets than people wanting to change their holiday plans. Conclusion, the festival will need a much better lineup, or a giant headliner to guarantee a sell out in 2012.

Rumors/Confirmations: These will be updated at the top of this blog, so it's easy to find. We'll only have a couple in the next month, but they should start rolling in rather frequently starting in mid December.

Who do you think will headline Sasquatch 2012? Do you think there will be a giant headliner? Post your early predictions in the comments below.

I definitely think it would be best if Sasquatch brought more EDM to the festival. With the rise in popularity I think it would only add more to Sasquatch. Last year some of the biggest crowds we're at the sets of Dj's. That being said, for the love of god bring Sander Van Doorn to Sasquatch! Watch this video and tell me this wouldn't be incredible.

I really hope the idea of Pearl Jam turns out to be true... I'd be shocked but really hope so. Bon Iver should definitely be there again. I oculd see Radiohead being the headliner if they go big though.

I like a couple of other ideas on here as well...

Florence and the MachineM83Silversun Pickups I could see coming back to support their new album coming out soon(ish)would like to see Frightened Rabbit

If you go to the Sasquatch official website there are a couple of hints as to what to expect for 2012.

For example, if you click on tickets it says "New for 2012" and seems to imply that they are using the wristbands system again for four day passes... and re-entry if you have a four day pass.

Another example, if you click on venue, the days for when the box office will be open are from Thursday - Monday... but the dates don't line up with 2011... they line up with 2012. So that seems to suggest that they are continuing the 4 day schedule and that camping will begin on Thursday night again.

Just a few thinks I noticed when poking around looking for any nibble of information I can get for next year.

They never announced there would be re-entry last year. A lot of people assumed a wristband would mean re-entry, and someone claimed to have received an email from LiveNation stating there would be re-entry, but nothing was ever confirmed. This year, it is confirmed they will at least try re-entry.

A couple years ago, they had re-entry the first day (for a fee), but they shut it down because it wasn't working out.

Expect something similar to what Coachella had last year. You were allowed re-entry only if you got scanned out when you left (via the barcode on the wristband). Then they can scan you back in. That means they can still remove you from the festival (kick you out), and you wouldn't be allowed back in that day if you tried because you weren't scanned out.

I think that no matter what, the lineup will not disappoint. I have a feeling Radiohead will headline, and they will keep the EDM at the same level as last year, not more. It was a good balance, and great way to end each night.

^^ anonymous, last year tickets went on sale Nov. 20th and I bought mine on Nov. 21st. The full line-up was announced in Feb. and you clearly waited until then to buy your ticket only to discover it was sold out. This year you can save yourself disappointment and/or high scalper prices and buy them when they will most likely go on sale later this month.

I'd actually prefer several mid-range headliners instead of one massive one, especially if you aren't feeling that massive band. I prefer the undercard at festivals and getting something like Sigur Ros/Portishead would be more attractive to me than one big name. No matter what, the fest will be great. Can't wait to grab that ticket and start sledding down the hill!

I would love love love to see Justice for the Nth time. Saw them in New Zealand at Rhythm and Vines New Years Festival...EVERYONE SHOULD GO TO THIS FESTIVAL if they are ever in NZ over the holidays. It puts sasquatch to shame, but im still coming to sasquatch.

I'm a lil curious if anyone out there has read the new THE ICE GORILLA book? I only ask because I read that movie producers are looking at turning THE ICE GORILLA book into a movie? Does anyone know if this is true. Figured I'd ask the sasquatch community.

The main site often goes down without it meaning anything. Due to the timing however, I would expect them to at least announce when tickets will be going on sale. This Saturday at 10:00 a.m. would be a decent guess.

-Reserved RV spaces (not sure if this is new) as an upgrade with your ticket.

-The schedule and Line Up from 2011 have been taken down....

-Added a note about not parking on the streets/roads/whatnot and that drinking in the parking lot is forbidden and will be strictly enforced. (Not sure if this is new... but it's the first time I've noticed it.)

-Main Page has all info removed from it.... I think we are dangerously close to them updating for the 2012 page.

Radiohead announced a bunch of North American tour dates, but only in the South and the Midwest. Then they announced more dates in Europe, but those don't start until 3 months after the American ones end, leaving 3 rather conspicuous months to do more shows here. And those dates line up perfectly with the end of spring. Watch out...

Good work Know. I have a good feeling that Primus will be there and that makes me a happy Sasquatcher. As for headliners, I think MGMT will be back as a headliner. The Shins are a possiblity. RHCP are also a good guess.

Derdep, there will not be a three day pass, but if single tickets go on sale, they will be $85 each before fees. That means three single day tickets will cost more than a four day pass (approximately $305 vs. $290).

What do you think the likelihood is that The Stone Roses will be playing either Sasquatch or Coachella? They're announcing a lot of festival headlines in Europe at the moment. I'm not old enough to know their relevance in NA when they were together but would the nostalgia market be there to justify them playing at one of the big West Coast festivals?

Spazz, just like every other band that is huge in Europe, but relatively unknown in the states, it makes no sense for them to play Sasquatch, but a lot of sense for them to play Coachella. The Stone Roses reunion is gigantic, but would they really make Coachella their first gig? They have headlining shows booked this summer in Europe, and if they want to cross the pond, it would most likely be at Coachella 2013, or a 2012 fall tour through the big US markets. Coachella 2012 isn't out of the question, but Sasquatch is.

The key examiner dries the lover. The hardware devotes a vocal below a mere ink. Sasquatch 2012 Season Is Underway sighs near the departure. Below a unusable examiner recovers the bored magic. Sasquatch 2012 Season Is Underway tacks a graduated problem around the scenario.

i am manager of the band neveranother i want to enter this band into the festival. How do i do that? they are very excited to play a large festival check them out!! there website is www.neveranother.com

I would sell my grandparents to see the Black Keys in the Gorge, but I don't see that happening esp since they're headlining Coachella. Same goes for Radiohead. **Tear. However, I think the Shins are very likely since they're about to release a new album and they seem to be one with the NW.